Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Title: Wish

Author: Barbara O’Connor

Published: 2016

Genre: Contemporary

Grade Level: 3^rd-5^th Grade

 

Blurb (from goodreads):

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true.

That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly, Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Solid

I loved the voice in this novel! It was unique, engrossing, and heartbreakingly realistic. The voice is also very county, I kept thinking there were typos in the book, but no that’s just their accent.

However, the transitions made throughout the novel weren’t as smooth as I would’ve liked.

 

Characters: Memorable

I’m really starting to adore sour-puss characters! If you fell in love with Ada Smith from The War that Saved My Life, then you will also loose your heart to Charlie, the MC.

 

Link to Book Review: https://www.krwardbookreview.com/2021/05/the-war-that-saved-my-life-by-kimberly.html

 

At such a young age Charlie has so much to deal with; a father in jail, a perfect sister, and a callous mother… it’s no wonder that she’s mad at the world. Despite all of her mistakes, I never stopped rooting for her.

I loved watching Charlie’s development change once she was placed in a stable environment, surrounded by good-natured friends, and given the unconditional love of a four-legged friend.

Harold was a lovely side character to meet. I just wish that the novel had been more specific about his physical disability since it plays such an important role in his POV.  

 

Plot: Absolute Page-Tuner

Aside from the bad transitions, I felt the novel was well paced. I wanted to know when Charlie’s perspective would change, how she would fix her mistakes, and whether her heart would learn to love.

 

Overall: Obsessed

I love this book! I think so many kids with broken homes can relate to Charlie, the MC. She’s full of bitterness and anger, but the reader wants nothing more for her than to love and be loved. The book really shows the healing power of a stable environment, good friends, and furry four-legged pets.

 

Goodreads Rating: 4 out of 5 stars